Review – The Velvet Hammer

 Not everyone is cut out to be a judge, but it takes a special kind of person to be a Chief Judge. In The Velvet Hammer, Belvin Perry, Jr. tells us of his classic success story. Raised by a single father, Perry and his two siblings didn’t have things handed to them. His father, a police officer,  exposed him to the legal system at a young age, and over the years his early fascination with the law became his passion.

Despite having to deal with institutional racism, Perry was able to get a job in the Florida State Attorney’s office, then later ran successfully for Chief Judge. Over the course of his career, he was involved in numerous murder trials – both as a prosecuting attorney and as a judge – and here he explains the crimes, the trials, and the verdicts. Most famously, the Casey Anthony trial where a young mother was charged with murdering her daughter.

Perry and his co-author, Amy Mitchell, tell an engaging tale of his upbringing and his journey into the legal profession. His memoir, however, is interspersed between retellings of the trials he was involved with. For the casual reader, the details of the crimes – all murders – may be too much. Perry and Mitchell go into almost exquisite detail when describing the actions of the killers. However, for the fans of true crime novels and podcasts, these details may be just what you’re looking for.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Perry also uses these murder trials as a means to justify the death penalty. From his point of view, that’s understandable. As a prosecutor and judge, Perry has had a front-row seat to some of the most heinous murders in Florida. No one can repeatedly be exposed to those situations without being affected by them. But if you are against the death penalty, you’ll find yourself disagreeing with his arguments and justifications.

The Velvet Hammer is a well-written and engaging combination of memoir and true-crime collection. The narrative alters between Perry’s life and the legal system, offering dissections of his cases and the reasoning behind his legal decisions. I found it insightful, a bit morbid, but overall a fascinating read. 

This review was originally posted at Reader Views. For more book reviews and recommendations, check out my Reading List page.

RB